User blog:Willofeywa/Make It Count: A story of your own life
Over the past month or so, more and more news articles have been emerging about possible release dates for the Avatar sequels. I understand many of you may be despondent about the increasing number of reports and press releases that we may not see another Avatar movie until around 2014. However, I for one love the Avatar series and want to see it done right, rather than to have James Cameron rush into hasty production of sequels and have a beloved film franchise go the way of Star Wars or Indiana Jones. James Cameron, arguably one of the finest, and inarguably one of the most influential film-makers of all time, is a shining example of determination, dedication, and perseverance. The man who went from a truck driver to directing the two highest grossing films of all time, as well as pioneering new methods of film-making, underwater exploration, and environmental conservation. But is James Cameron any different than you or me? I do not think so. I think that there is very little that sets him apart from each and every one of us. How did a man born to extremely ordinary parents in an extremely ordinary home environment, with little more formal education past the high school level, go on to acheive so much? It is fully within each of our capabilities to achieve even half the level of accomplishment that the director of Avatar has, and yet many of us go through our lives accomplishing little more than the bare necessities for standard living. We live in a time now of rampant overpopulation, where each individual as part of the whole sequesters more from the world than they contribute to it, and here we truly find one of the roots of the downfall of civilization. The reason that so many have been able to thrive without producing is because fundamentally they have been supported by the accomplishments of others. However this is not a terrible principle in all respects, because each subsequent discovery, progressive achievement and innovation has been based on the one before it. Unfortunately, a resounding percentage of the global population does not contribute anything to the progression of the human race aside from whatever cog they may represent in the rusting machine of corporate domination, rampant consumerism, and ecological exploitation. Quite the contrary, a staggering amount of people act only as a drain on the resources, energy, and time that quite frankly are disturbingly limited. While this may sound like a pessimistic and despairing outlook on the world, I write it because is an easily solvable situation, made easier by examples set before us like James Cameron. Mr. Cameron just happens to be my personal icon, but there is no shortage of heros across the ages that we may draw inspiration from. Others of mine, just to give examples, include Bruce Beresford (the director of my current film project), Isaac Asimov, Nikola Tesla, Ayn Rand, and Carl Sagan to name a few. The inspiration I draw from each of these figures is not the accomplishments they have accumulated by the end of their lives, but the perseverance and personal drive that pushed them forward to achieve their dreams even before they were even known. James Cameron started building movie sets. Ayn Rand almost never got her first book even published. Nikola Tesla spent a lifetime trying to give the world free energy only to be refused by corrupt business officials. Carl Sagan never lived to see contact with extra-terrestrial life (although in any probability neither will we). But even their failures have set the stage for a better world, because through their exploits has emerged a better world than the one they came into. Working in film has been an incredible exerience. It has challenged me mentally, physically, and emotionally. Like any other profession, it is hard work, but with that work comes the satisfaction of being a part of something and knowing that I am working towards a goal that gets closer with each day that passes, each new person I meet and friend I make. Even outside of my job, I utilise my time on side projects like producing short films and music videos for local bands. I do these things for the same reason that I breathe: because without it, I would die. So I would say to you, pursue what it is that you love, and others can only benefit from it. Our lives are not meant to be an anguished struggle just to meet our end as broken and disappointed individuals. Even if we fail at our ultimate goal, the world could only have improved from your relentless pursuit of your dreams. Irayo Willofeywa 17:32, August 24, 2010 (UTC) Category:Blog posts